Kenya Beefs Up Security Ahead Of Polls

Kenya increases security in advance of the elections

Nairobi 9 August : Kenyan police has stated the security of Kenya has been increased throughout the nation to ensure a peaceful general elections scheduled for Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso on Monday said that more than 150,000 security guards who are part of the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service, National Youth Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, have been sent to various areas of Kenya to protect the voting booths.

 Kenya Beefs Up Security Ahead Of Polls-TeluguStop.com

“The security personnel are well-equipped and in an excellent level of readiness to face any types of threats that may occur prior to, during or after the general election,” he added on the phone.

A little over 22.1 million Kenyans will be voting this Tuesday for Kenya’s fifth President as well as the members of the National Assembly, Senators, and County governors, in addition to others, according the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The east African country is trying to eliminate all factors that could raise doubts about the credibility of the elections on Tuesday as they are an opportunity to get the country back on a political footing following the violence that followed the election of 2007/2008, which was triggered by a disputed presidential election count.

Analysts believe that the 2008 and 2007 events were an opportunity to remind of the importance of creating solid institutions of governance, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two most popular candidates are Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as well as the Deputy President in office William Ruto.

The elections are highly contestable, with President Uhuru Kenyatta voting for Odinga.

Recent opinion polls have revealed an extremely close race between Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja (Resolution for Unity) One Kenya Coalition, and Ruto of the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance.

Shioso said security officers are given the authority to ensure Kenyans their safety when they vote and that all citizens are able to go about their business without worry of violence or danger.

The police spokesman said the fact that the government provided the police force adequately, particularly with more vehicles and equipment to ensure smooth and continuous operations during and following the elections.

He said that the police are conducting risk and threat analysis to determine security threats to the nation, which in turn will guide resource deployment in real-time.

Shioso said that the NPS has set up a national security command center which will be operational on a 24 hour basis and fully equipped to deal with security issues related to elections.

int/khz/


.

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on WhatsAppFollow Us on Twitter